"You don't know what's going to happen in finals. I think we proved last year we were real contenders. We've just got to wait and see what happens.

"We are certainly not going in with that mindset [that we are making up the numbers].

"We've beaten most of the teams in the eight, and we know we've got the game plan to do that, that if we play to our 100 per cent capabilities that we can beat anyone."

The finals are almost a certainty for the Swans. They now have 48 points and sit in sixth place. They play Richmond at the MCG this weekend in the last round of the season, and if they win against the Tigers it gives them a better chance of securing a home final.

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As the season proper closes the Sydney side has built confidence and momentum with convincing wins in high-pressure games most recently over Melbourne and now Essendon.

"It's encouraging," Hall said. "Port Adelaide is the only team we haven't beaten [in the top half of the ladder], going into a finals series. It's pretty encouraging to know we've been there and done it before and knocked them over.

"Whoever we get in the first final, we'll probably go in pretty confident.

"You've got to get some good form up before you play the big games. I think we probably have had no better preparation, except for that fourth quarter against the Kangaroos we fell asleep a little bit. I think the game last night was the perfect lead-up for finals."

It was a perfect 150th game for the forward. Actress Nicole Kidman even dropped by the Swans changing rooms after the match, congratulating Hall on his six goals. He now has 68 goals to his name this season - a career best.

He had 15 kicks and 13 marks for the night, and he had four opponents during the evening.

Sydney's forward line has proved a bold and fitter force in recent matches.

Nick Davis, who recently returned from an ankle injury, showed his talented boot is still working, with three goals against the Bombers. Michael O'Loughlin kicked two, while Ryan O'Keefe continued his brilliant form across the forward line and slotted through three.

"There's a fair bit of talent down there. Nick Davis has got himself fit and he's in some good form now. Ryan O'Keefe has been fantastic all year for us, and Mick O'Loughlin is probably the most talented player running around," Hall said.

"I reckon we've got one of the most talented forward lines. We are starting to put it together, it's really been an even contribution for all the players up there. Amon Buchanan has been fantastic for us as well."

Swans coach Paul Roos said the team "dodged a bullet in the first quarter" when Essendon controlled the centre, peppered their goal face and went into the break up by 3.9 (27) to 2.2 (14).

Essendon were to pay for not being accurate in front of the posts, while the Swans collected themselves and their engine room started ticking over.

"After that our midfield really turned things around and started to get in and under and start to win the footy and gave us an opportunity to win," Roos said.

While Roos was satisfied with his side's win, opposition coach Kevin Sheedy didn't heap Sydney with praise, noting that in the second quarter the Swans "blew us out of the water" with eight straight goals.

"If you had a look at everything else we did we were pretty right. We stopped their run, we stopped a fair bit of their running handball, we had inside 50s pretty right. Probably they got the hit-outs but we were pretty good at the stoppages," Sheedy said.